Free speech is essential to the operation of a university; I have personally written and advocated for the improvement of free speech policies on this campus, which are notoriously weak. The free exchange of ideas on college campuses has ended senseless wars and brought down corrupt governments; the University has a history of that, and I am proud of that history. I am also proud to have joined all UA students in signing the Capstone Creed, which reads: “As a member of The University of Alabama community, I will pursue knowledge, act with fairness, integrity and respect; promote equity and inclusion; foster individual and civic responsibility; and strive for excellence in all I do.”

Milo Yiannopoulos embodies none of these values. That a collegiate chapter of a major political party would invite such a man to speak at all is a disgrace to both our political system and our student body. The so-called “alt-right” – the movement Milo represents – is comprised of nothing more than Klansmen who have decided to forego their hoods. A quick perusal of Milo’s writing yields titles such as: “Sorry, Girls! But The Smartest People In The World Are All Men,” “Donald Trump Would Be The Real First Black President,” “Does Feminism Make Women Ugly?” and “I’m Worried Not Enough Teenagers Are Self-Harming.” He has referred to college rape culture as fantasy and claimed that the invention of the washing machine has made women unhappy. To use a recently popularized term, Milo Yiannopoulos is deplorable. He’s the kind of person the University used to name buildings after, but with none of the accomplishments.

Though I am a progressive, I would never call for the disinviting of a conservative economist or politician or professor. The Left cannot grow without checks and balances from the Right and vice versa. But universities exist primarily to educate, and nothing about Milo’s writings are educational.

Bama is where I earned my doctorate, so I’m extremely dismayed to see these students acting like spoiled brats. For the record, I like Milo and I think the “alt right” is an invention of the liberal press to make it sound as if extremism is the order of the day with conservatives. Where is the counter balancing discussion of the “alt left?”